Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswami taking the vow of Chaturmasya at Sringeri

Chaturmasya Vrata

Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswami taking the vow of Chaturmasya at Sringeri

The Poornima (full moon day) in the month of Ashadha is called ‘Guru Poornima’. On this sacred day, worship is offered to Brahma Vidyacharyas – the great luminaries of hoary antiquity, who through their Supreme grace, have handed over the knowledge of Brahman – Brahma Vidya – through a long, continuous and uninterrupted line of Acharyas, to the world of seekers of Self. Special pujas are performed to the hierarchy of Gurus, Parama Gurus, Parameshti Gurus, Parapara Gurus and all Brahma Vidya Acharyas, seeking their inestimable blessings to realise the Supreme Truth. This is also called ‘Vyasa Puja’, for, Sri Vedavyasa stands foremost in the line of these preceptors. It was Vyasa who codified the Vedas into four divisions and integrated the messages of the Upanishads relating to Brahman, Jiva and the Universe in his great book, the Brahmasutras. He is rightly addressed as one of ‘vast intellect’ ‘the ancient sage’ by whom was lit the lamp of knowledge, feeding it with the oil of Mahabharata.